Obscene options cancel/modify fees

Yes, I know there is a credit, but its 20 cents a contract up to a MAX of 1.20.

So I happened to do a small trade the other day where I cancelled once and bought 2 contracts. Net cost to me was 70 cents for the cancel. Don't know why it was 70 and not 80 cents. (1.20-.40)

I resent being ripped off, and therefore do not participate in bidding and offering options unless I have to to hedge something.
 
I'll be the 1st to admit I am green on options. Just something I never cared much for. (Aside from futures options) Just wasnt into all the SUPER deluxe spread and stuff. Now I am getting a fever for it.... Courtesy of Think Or Swim. Opened an account with them on a fluke, and have been blown away by the level of educational simplicity....
 
yeah it's a rip off... I try and get the best fill so I cancel and modify a lot...

BOSX only charges 10 cents for a cancel btw... better off routing there first (if you use IB)...

- mnx
 
I've never heard of an options daytrader. The spreads and commissions on them make it practically impossible..

Example, if the spread's 10 cents (Which is pretty typical), you're already 10 cents in the hole. Now, assuming $1 / contract (which is fairly low, most ppl pay a lot more then that), you're another 2 cents in the hole (1 on the buy, 1 on the sell). If you're doing an ATM option, delta's around .5, and if the option is expiring soon, you have to worry about theta (intraday theta is fairly low, but that might be another cent, depending on how close it is to expiration).

so, with 13 cents for spreads, commissions, and time decay, you need the stock to move favorably 26 cents to just break even.

Add in the fees for cancel/modify, and just forget about it.

The only way to profit day trading options is to be the market maker, no rediculous cancel/modify fees, and you're on the favorable side of the spread.
 
Quote from demoship:

yeah neke, there's no charge at ameritrade to cancel/modify, but good luck trying to make a market when you pay $9.99 + .75 / contract in commissions.

Again, the system is designed to help the market makers profit, which screws over traders.

They don't want a liquid options market, because if the spreads are only 1 cent like they are for stocks, there's no money to be made. What they say their agenda is and what the truth is are 2 seperate things :)

I pay commission as low as IB in Ameritrade without cancellation fee. Nobody pays 9.99 + 0.75 / contract unless you are very new to option trading.
 
i bet you 100-1 you don't pay 75 cents a copntract 1 min for no vol requirments?i've seen few if any that will match the $1 min
 
Back
Top